Architectural Heritage

There are a diverse number of architectural styles that can be seen in historic commercial and residential areas throughout the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area (MSNHA). The region has a large concentration of Victorian style homes, as well as more unique styles including a Frank Lloyd Wright house and post-WWII Lustrom houses. Several great examples of Art Deco, Federal, and 19th and 20thcentury revival styles can be found in the region's commercial district. The region is also known for its beautiful old churches. The following are the main types of architectural styles that can be found in the MSNHA.

Federal

Late 18th century to mid 19th century. The following homes and buildings are registered with the National Register of Historic Places and represent the Federal architectural style.

19th and 20th Century Revivals

19th century to 20th century. The primary revival styles that can be found in the region include Greek, Gothic, Italianate, Colonial, Tudor, and Classical. The following homes and buildings are registered with the National Register of Historic Places and represent the 19th and 20th century revival architectural style.

Modern Styles

The region has several modern architectural styles of interest. The Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama, is a wonderful example of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural style and is the only house in Alabama that Wright constructed.

In Colbert County, Nitrate Village One is a neighborhood of stucco and red-tiled-roofed bungalow houses that were built by the U.S. government for workers at a local WWI nitrate plant. The streets of this neighborhood are laid out in a liberty bell figure.

Also in the area are several examples of Lustrom houses (E.H. Darby Lustron House – Florence, Clyde Williamson Lustrom House – Florence, and E.L. Newman Lustron House – Sheffield). Lustrom houses were prefabricated enamel steel houses that were constructed following WWII.

Other Architectural Styles

Some of the other noted architectural styles in the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area include art deco (Princess Theatre – Decatur and Ritz Theatre – Sheffield), Queen Anne (Chambers-Robison House – Sheffield, and Cherry Street and Wood Avenue Historic Districts in Florence), and the Tidewater Cottage (Peter F. Armistead, Sr. House and William Koger House in Florence).